What does שָׁכַר (šākar) mean in the Bible?
שָׁכַר (šākar): Intoxication as loss of rational control, extended figuratively to overwhelming influence or satiation of desire.
Hebrew · H7937
שָׁכַר
To become tipsy ; in a qualified sense, to satiate with a stimulating drink or (figuratively) influence
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שָׁכַר H7937
Pronunciation šākar
What does שָׁכַר (šākar) mean in the Bible?
שָׁכַר (šākar): Intoxication as loss of rational control, extended figuratively to overwhelming influence or satiation of desire.
Full entry for שָׁכַר (H7937) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H7937?
The BSB source-word alignment has 19 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include drunk (3), and drank freely (1), and he got [Uriah] drunk (1), and I will make them drunk (1), be drunk (1).
Where does שָׁכַר (šākar) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Genesis 9:21. Its strongest book concentrations include Jeremiah (5), Isaiah (4), Genesis (2), 1 Samuel (1).
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It drunk 3× Deuteronomy 32:42, Jeremiah 51:7, Jeremiah 51:57
and drank freely 1× Genesis 43:34
and he got [Uriah] drunk 1× 2 Samuel 11:13
and I will make them drunk 1× Jeremiah 51:39
be drunk 1× Isaiah 29:9
drink freely 1× Song Of Solomon 5:1
drunken 1× Isaiah 51:21
get drunk 1× Jeremiah 25:27
have your fill 1× Haggai 1:6
he became drunk 1× Genesis 9:21
I made them drunk 1× Isaiah 63:6
Make him drunk 1× Jeremiah 48:26
they are drunk 1× Habakkuk 2:15
they will be drunk 1× Isaiah 49:26
will become drunk 1× Nahum 3:11
will you be drunk 1× 1 Samuel 1:14
you will get drunk 1× Lamentations 4:21
Show sample aligned rows
Genesis 9:21 וַיִּשְׁכָּ֑ר to he became drunk Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular Genesis 43:34 וַֽיִּשְׁכְּר֖וּ to and drank freely Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural Deuteronomy 32:42 אַשְׁכִּ֤יר to drunk Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - first person common singular 1 Samuel 1:14 תִּשְׁתַּכָּרִ֑ין to will you be drunk Verb - Hitpael - Imperfect - second person feminine singular | Paragogic nun 2 Samuel 11:13 וַֽיְשַׁכְּרֵ֑הוּ to and he got [Uriah] drunk Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine singular Song Of Solomon 5:1 וְשִׁכְר֖וּ to drink freely Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural Isaiah 29:9 שָֽׁכְר֣וּ to be drunk Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural Isaiah 49:26 יִשְׁכָּר֑וּן to they will be drunk Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural | Paragogic nun Isaiah 51:21 וּשְׁכֻרַ֖ת to drunken Conjunctive waw | Adjective - feminine singular construct Isaiah 63:6 וַאֲשַׁכְּרֵ֖ם to I made them drunk Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Conjunctive imperfect - first person common singular | third person masculine plural
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Genesis 9:21
Aligned rows 19
Books represented 11
Genesis 2 Deuteronomy 1 1 Samuel 1 2 Samuel 1 Song Of Solomon 1 Isaiah 4 Jeremiah 5 Lamentations 1 Nahum 1 Habakkuk 1 Haggai 1
Source forms
אַשְׁכִּ֤יר 1x ’aš·kîr Deuteronomy 32:42
הַשְׁכִּירֻ֕הוּ 1x haš·kî·ru·hū Jeremiah 48:26
וַאֲשַׁכְּרֵ֖ם 1x wa·’ă·šak·kə·rêm Isaiah 63:6
וְ֠הִשְׁכַּרְתִּי 1x wə·hiš·kar·tî Jeremiah 51:57
וְהִשְׁכַּרְתִּים֙ 1x wə·hiš·kar·tîm Jeremiah 51:39
וַיִּשְׁכָּ֑ר 1x way·yiš·kār Genesis 9:21
וַֽיְשַׁכְּרֵ֑הוּ 1x way·šak·kə·rê·hū 2 Samuel 11:13
וַֽיִּשְׁכְּר֖וּ 1x way·yiš·kə·rū Genesis 43:34
Parsing patterns
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural 2x Song Of Solomon 5:1, Jeremiah 25:27
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person feminine singular 2x Lamentations 4:21, Nahum 3:11
Conjunctive waw | Adjective - feminine singular construct 1x Isaiah 51:21
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular 1x Jeremiah 51:57
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular | third person masculine plural 1x Jeremiah 51:39
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Conjunctive imperfect - first person common singular | third person masculine plural 1x Isaiah 63:6
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine singular 1x 2 Samuel 11:13
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural 1x Genesis 43:34
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Intoxication as loss of rational control, extended figuratively to overwhelming influence or satiation of desire.
Strong's H7937
Lexical occurrences 19 verses Word forms 3 forms 6 references Verse guides 0 guides
Study link Jeremiah 13:12-14 Source Gloss
to become tipsy ; in a qualified sense, to satiate with a stimulating drink or (figuratively) influence
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Intoxication as loss of rational control, extended figuratively to overwhelming influence or satiation of desire.
to become tipsy; in a qualified sense, to satiate with a stimulating drink or (figuratively) influence Usage: (be filled with) drink (abundantly), (be, make) drunk(-en), be merry. (Superlative of 8248.)
Grammatical Forms
How the stem changes the meaning of this verb across the biblical text.
This verb appears through different tense, voice, mood, or stem patterns. Those forms help readers see how the action is presented in context.
Form groups 3 Aligned forms 6
Qal basic active stem — the word in its most common, direct sense 3×
Imperfect Lam 4:21 · Nah 3:11 2×
Perfect Isa 29:9 1×
Hiphil causative active — the subject causes someone else to perform the action 1×
Imperfect Deut 32:42 1×
Piel intensive active — emphasizes thoroughness or repeated action 2×
Infinitive absolute Hab 2:15 1×
Participle active Jer 51:7 1×
Selected Scripture Witnesses
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Biblical Witnesses
People filled with intoxicating drink, saturated with wine
Moab made drunk or staggering, figuratively conquered and humiliated
Showing 2 selected witnesses from 19 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
שָׁכַר is a primitive root - no further derivation.
Part of These Phrases
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
Sources
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain